reloading question - what would you do?

[Alpo]

You load this cartridge will they send me quad cutter bullet (Jesus otto, WITH A SEMI WADCUTTER BULLET).

 

Then you start playing the game. You have a rifle chambered in this cartridge. To make sure you don't have any problems during the game, you change to loading with a round nose flat.

 

You get rid of that rifle. You still have pistols in that chambering.

 

Would you continue loading round nose flat, or would you go back to using semi-wide cutter (well otto, you almost got it right - semi WAD cutter)?

[Boggus Deal #64218]

I’ll load what ever bullet I have that will work in the gun.

[Dapper Dave]

I'll use up what I have, if they work well enough in my pistols to be good. If they ONLY work in the rifle, (unusual, but it's happened), I'd just stash 'em until I needed them again. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

8 hours ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

I’ll load what ever bullet I have that will work in the gun.

This^^^^^^

[Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L]

since I cast my own bullets, they would go in the pot and I'd make the ones I needed

[Alpo]

Once again we appear to be speaking at cross purposes.

 

I did not mean to throw the ones I have away. I did not mean to go set them on the shelf and never touch them again unless and until I buy another lever action 357.

 

I have, according to my inventory, 156 158-grain round nose flat 357 bullets. When they are all shot up, would you replace them with more round nose flat bullets or would you buy semi-wad cutter bullets?

 

I thought the question was fairly simple but apparently it confused people.

[Todd Hayseed]

6 hours ago, Dapper Dave said:

I'll use up what I have, if they work well enough in my pistols to be good. If they ONLY work in the rifle, (unusual, but it's happened), I'd just stash 'em until I needed them again. 

I would like to know how this happens.  I have loaded a great many .38 special rounds that are revolver only loads because they are too short to cycle in my rifle.

A round good for the rifle but not the revolver - I actually do not know what that would be.

[Alpo]

If I had a 38 special pistol, and I was loading 38 special to shoot in my rifle, but my rifle was a 357 so I could load the bullets long - I could easily end up with cartridges that would only work in the rifle, because they would be too long for the pistol's cylinder.

 

Rare, but possible.

[Stump Water]

45 minutes ago, Alpo said:

I have, according to my inventory, 156 158-grain round nose flat 357 bullets. When they are all shot up, would you replace them with more round nose flat bullets or would you buy semi-wad cutter bullets?

 

Before I shot them all up I'd find out which was the most accurate with 3.5 grains of Red Dot and a Federal SPP and that's what I'd buy more of.

 

If "the game" is something other than CAS, more Red Dot.

[Crooked River Pete, SASS 43485]

I'd replace them with whatever is cheapest.

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

Same weight usually is about the same cost.  I prefer the flat nosed round to the semi wadcutter when I have the choice... wish I had a good reason but I dont, just what I like.  

[Sarge]

It would depend on what I was using the gun for.  For example, if I was shooting bullseye or PPC, I/d want bullets that made nice clean round holes.  If I was plinking or shooting at steel, sure go for it.

[Irish Pat]

I shot regular police 38 target hollow base 148 grain wad cutter and 158 grain semi-wad cutter when they were given to me. All these were pistol loads. you can shoot semi wad cutter in a Marlin. my 1873 and 1866 will only run with round nose bullets 

[watab kid]

14 hours ago, Cheyenne Ranger, 48747L said:

since I cast my own bullets, they would go in the pot and I'd make the ones I needed

i agree with this approach , i have a coffee can full that will be recycled soon 

[Dapper Dave]

15 hours ago, Todd Hayseed said:

I would like to know how this happens.  I have loaded a great many .38 special rounds that are revolver only loads because they are too short to cycle in my rifle.

A round good for the rifle but not the revolver - I actually do not know what that would be.

Well, it wasn't 38Spl, and it wasn't REALLY a rifle, but the 9mm Berry's Target Hollow Point bullet was a jammamatic bullet in dang near every handgun I tried, but for some reason my CZ Scorpion loved them. Go figure. 

I was using "bullet", "pistol", and "rifle" as generics. Also, OP never mentioned caliber or firearm types. 

Edited October 4, 2025 by Dapper Dave
can't spell

[Ozark Huckleberry]

You reload, so I'd expect you already have a load worked up for the pistol, but from your question I'd also infer the load doesn't use the same bullet as the rifle (otherwise, you'd have no question).

 

So, to use the remaining bullets, you'd have to work up a new load for the pistol. Not worth the time to make up a load for just a few boxes of ammo just to use up some bullets.

 

The extra bullets? Swap 'em or give 'em to a buddy who'd use them.

[Todd Hayseed]

I ultimately came up with three loads

 

For revolver, a OOO buckshot with a grease cookie behind it for lube.  Works out to .38LC dimensions - 1.33"  Loaded in my single shot Henry  or one at a time in my Rossi I can hit the 100 yd steel plate with these.

 

For rifle, the 105gr Lee crimped in the crimp groove in a .357 case is 1.57" and cycles just fine.  In .38spl I use the Lee 356-125-2R powdercoated to make them the right size and crimped to the same length.  But those are smokeless only as powdercoat + BP = mess.

 

I keep reading how people are loading the Lee 105 gr  in a 38 special case and I can't understand how.  To get that the right length I have to crimp it in what is the lube groove and the bullet is actually loose.  The Lee 356-125-2R is just right for this - and in fact is a crappy 9mm as you have to seat it too deep in the case to work